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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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Thai-based crypto investor funding Reform unlikely to avoid cap on overseas donations
Christopher Harborne, who also gave Nigel Farage £5m ‘gift’, reported to have registered to vote in Hampshire Christopher Harborne, the Thailand-based crypto investor who has given millions of pounds to Reform UK, would be unlikely to get around a planned cap on overseas political donations even if he has registered to vote in the UK, it is understood. Harborne, who also gave Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, £5m as a “gift”, has registered to vote in Hampshire, the Times reported , with a spokesperson for the billionaire quoted in the paper saying that he had decided to become a “registered voter in the UK”. Continue reading...
Strong aftershock terrifies Venezuelans days after devastating twin quakes
Caracas and port city of La Guaira affected by 4.6 magnitude shock as loss of life passes 1,450 people A strong aftershock has rattled northern Venezuela, sending terrified residents racing on to the streets five days after the twin earthquakes that killed at least 1,450 people, left tens of thousands missing and triggered a growing humanitarian emergency. The aftershock early on Monday – which the United States Geological Survey measured at a magnitude of 4.6 – shook the capital, Caracas, and the devastated port city of La Guaira, where rescue crews are still hoping to pull as many survivors as possible from the rubble. Colombia’s geological survey put the aftershock’s magnitude at 5.1. Continue reading...
Backlash from centrist Democrats as democratic socialist candidates sweep primaries
Party’s old guard abandons ‘blue no matter what’ banner to push for a more formal break with progressive wing After a string of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) primary victories, the loudest response from much of the Democratic establishment’s old guard was not reconciliation, but escalation. Over the last few days, prominent party figures have moved away from unifying under a “blue no matter who” banner to push for a more formal break with their left flank, and said the moment may have arrived for Democrats to confront their more socialist wing. Continue reading...
Nato chief says he is confident Burnham will stick to defence spending target
Mark Rutte stressed need for military investment ahead of long-awaited UK funding announcement on Tuesday Nato’s secretary general has said he is confident Andy Burnham will stick to the alliance’s long-term spending commitments, and that the man expected to be the UK’s next prime minister would recognise that rearmament can spur economic growth. During a visit to London, Mark Rutte said he did not expect the UK to meet an alliance target to spend 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2035 “in one big step” when its long-delayed defence investment plan is published on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Outcry over supreme court decision to grant Trump power to fire agency chiefs
Legal and labor experts say Trump v Slaughter decision upends settled constitutional law in favor of ‘loyalty test’ As a reality TV show host, Donald Trump rose to fame with the catchphrase: “You’re fired!” On Monday, the US supreme court handed him – and all future presidents – the power to fire leaders of independent agencies or commissions, overturning 90 years of court precedent curbing executive power. While Trump celebrated the decision on Truth Social as a “big win”, labor advocates, unions, and consumer advocacy groups criticized the supreme court decision on the case, Trump v Slaughter, and warned of the long-term impacts for democracy in the US. Court rules Trump can fire leaders of independent agencies Court rules geofence warrants require constitutional privacy protections Court rules Trump’s firing of Lisa Cook from Fed was unconstitutional Court upholds law to count mail-in ballots arriving after election day Court rejects Trump’s bid to appeal $5m E Jean Carroll Continue reading...
Ben Jennings on Andy Burnham’s first major policy speech – cartoon
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Resident doctors in England accept government offer on pay and jobs
British Medical Association called off a strike at the last minute earlier this month to put the offer to members Resident doctors in England have voted to accept a new government deal on pay and jobs. It comes after the British Medical Association called off a strike at the last minute earlier this month to put the offer to members. Continue reading...
Burnham will stand or fall on his plans for youth employment: he must put the next generation first | Polly Toynbee
Labour has to match the success of its New Deal for young people in the late 1990s – and remedy the injustices that have led to a ‘lost generation’ Today a new programme starts to help the million unemployed young people not in education or training (Neets). By chance, it launches on the day Andy Burnham set out to paint a picture of his horizons with plans that put the young first, closely matching Alan Milburn’s searing review of the fate of a “lost generation”. As from now, any employer can claim £3,000 in a youth jobs grant to take on an 18- to 24-year-old who has been on universal credit and looking for work for at least six months. That financial incentive for employers will be well complemented by Burnham’s devolution revolution. The Burnham remedy is a great shift of power, funds and taxes out of Whitehall into the hands of local mayors, because local is where jobs are, locally is where education and further education succeed or fail and locality is all too often where disadvantage blights children’s future. Burnham’s confidence that the local works best for unemployment comes from the success of his Manchester “working well” programme , which has outstripped national schemes. Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Can Andy Burnham’s ‘No 10 North’ change anything? – podcast
Andy Burnham, the prime minister-in-waiting, has made his first major speech since becoming the MP for Makerfield. Speaking in Manchester, he said the Westminster system was ‘broken’ and that a ‘more of the same’ attitude would not work. He promised a ‘No 10 North’ as part of his proposals for devolution, the biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war period, and ‘good growth in every postcode’. Pippa and Kiran look at what the speech tells us about Burnham’s ambitions for the economy Continue reading...
Iran is jealously competing with Oman as decision-maker over strait of Hormuz
Tehran believes it should control the shipping route but its neighbour has its own plans for reopening it The strait of Hormuz is Iran’s chief bargaining tool in the negotiations with America and so it was always likely to be the greatest point of contention. Every metre of the 39-kilometre-wide waterway is being contested in a test of wills and patience. For Iran, the continuation of the dispute is not a problem so long as it does not lose control. Continue reading...
Current and ex-DUP members knew of allegations about Jeffrey Donaldson, party says
Information not reported through ‘appropriate channels’ and left DUP unable to formally respond, leader says Former and current members of the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) knew of allegations about the former leader Jeffrey Donaldson but did not share them, the party has said. Information about Donaldson was not reported through “appropriate channels” and left the party unable to formally respond, the DUP leader, Gavin Robinson, said on Monday. Continue reading...
How would PM-in-waiting Andy Burnham change Britain? - The Latest
Andy Burnham has set out his vision for the UK in his first big policy speech since launching a bid to replace Keir Starmer as prime minister. The Makerfield MP confirmed he would set up ‘No 10 North’ and pledged to ‘bring about the biggest rebalancing of power the country has ever seen’. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s north of England editor, Josh Halliday – watch on YouTube Continue reading...
Andy Burnham picks Greater Manchester CEO to oversee devolution of power at No 10 North
Caroline Simpson worked closely with Burnham when he was Greater Manchester mayor UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham has asked the current chief executive of the Greater Manchester combined authority to be his deputy chief of staff, leading the new No 10 North, if as expected he becomes prime minister in three weeks’ time. Caroline Simpson, who worked closely with Burnham when he was mayor, will be based in Manchester to oversee the devolution of power and resources across the UK that he promised would transform the country. Continue reading...
US military races to vaccinate new recruits before flu shots expire
Move comes amid growing outbreak in Texas and after two-month halt on mandatory shots The US military is racing to vaccinate new recruits after a two-month halt on mandatory flu shots – but it’s a temporary reprieve, as the shots will soon expire and new doses will not be available for months. Officials will need to lean on other prevention measures to contain the growing flu outbreak at Lackland air force base in San Antonio, Texas, experts say. Continue reading...
Trump claims Iran has agreed to hold peace talks in Doha after recent clashes
US president posts that meeting will take place on Tuesday in Qatari capital after exchange of fire in strait of Hormuz Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has agreed to hold talks in Doha after the US and Iran traded fire in the strait of Hormuz this weekend threatening the collapse of a ceasefire meant to keep open the strait of Hormuz and pave the way for peace talks. In a terse post on Truth Social, the US president claimed that the meetings would take place in the Qatari capital, as US media reported that the two sides had agreed to halt strikes following tit-for-tat attacks that once again cut off shipping through the crucial waterway. Continue reading...
Former Tory MP Craig Williams pleads guilty to cheating at gambling with election bets
Former parliamentary private secretary to Rishi Sunak admits offence relating to betting on date of 2024 election A close aide to the former prime minister Rishi Sunak has pleaded guilty to cheating at gambling with bets on the date of the 2024 general election. Craig Williams, 41, who was Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire and for Cardiff North, admitted using confidential information to place bets on the timing of the poll. Continue reading...
Sydney to get parking zones for shared ebikes in bid to stop ‘wild west scenes’ of blocked footpaths
NSW transport minister says growth in shared schemes is a positive development but pedestrians are ‘crying out for order’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Shared ebikes cluttering Sydney footpaths will be kicked to the kerb in the coming months under funding to establish marked parking bays, the New South Wales government says. On Tuesday, the state government announced $6.6m in funding for Sydney local councils to nominate and paint dedicated parking areas. Each council will be given up to $200,000. Continue reading...
The show must go on: musical theatre cancellations lead to industry calls for urgent government help
In the space of a week, two major musicals, Waitress and Beetlejuice, and a $20m opera were forced to cancel shows amid skyrocketing costs, putting hundreds out of work Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Australia’s theatre industry is in desperate need of tax reform to keep it alive, experts have warned the federal government, after two major touring musicals and a $20m opera cancelled shows in the space of a week, citing skyrocketing costs and soft box office sales. Broadway musical Waitress , starring Rob Mills and Natalie Bassingthwaighte, announced on Sunday that it would end in Melbourne on 19 July, and will not tour to Sydney in August as planned. Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...
Love Island contestant reportedly leaves show over link to stabbing
Gabriel Garland, 24, was involved in New Year’s Eve altercation but not charged with any offence A Love Island contestant has reportedly left the programme over his connection to a stabbing in London. Gabriel Garland, 24, was removed from the ITV2 dating series after briefly featuring in an episode on Sunday night as a Casa Amor villa boy. Continue reading...
Dangerous temperatures forecast for central and eastern Europe
Red warnings issued as record-breaking heatwave pushes east, with authorities urging people to stay indoors Parts of central, eastern and southern Europe sweltered on Monday as the “heat dome” behind last week’s record-breaking temperatures shifted east, bringing dangerous conditions to a new swathe of the continent. Budapest is forecast to exceed 40C on Tuesday, according to models from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Belgrade and Bucharest reached 38C and 37C respectively on Monday as the heatwave, which has been linked to hundreds of deaths in western Europe, moved east. Continue reading...
Former NFL star Chris Johnson diagnosed with ALS: ‘You can give up, or you can fight’
Former Titans RB was diagnosed with disease in 2025 Johnson was NFL offensive player of year in 2009 Chris Johnson, one of the few players to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single NFL season, says he has been diagnosed with ALS. The 39-year-old made the announcement during an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America. He spoke to the show’s co-anchor Michael Strahan, a former NFL player himself, using a speech device. Continue reading...
Shooter kills five adults at youth welfare facility in Stade, Germany
Two arrested after incident at town west of Hamburg, with motive unknown Five people have been shot and killed at a youth welfare facility in a northern German town, police have said. The motive for the incident in Stade, close to the port city of Hamburg, on Monday was not immediately clear, a police spokesperson said. Two people, including the suspected shooter, had been arrested, he added. Continue reading...
At the People’s History Museum, Burnham gives Labour hope they might just have a future
The home crowd swooned to Andy’s mood music, even if some of it could have been a Keir cover version UK politics live – latest updates There’s no pleasing some people. For most of last week, all the opposition parties were moaning that Andy Burnham had taken a vow of silence ever since the Makerfield by-election. That no one had a clue just what the prime minister designate had in mind. On Monday, Andy sought to answer some of those questions, but before he had opened his mouth, Kemi Badenoch accused him of trying to avoid the scrutiny of MPs. He should be doing this from the dispatch box, she said. Um … Except he’s not a minister. Maybe she plans to give him a guest slot from the opposition benches. There again, she was also saying that all his plans were bound to fail long before he had even told us what they were. Never change, Kemi. Just keep saying the first thing that comes into your head. Continue reading...
US supreme court rules Trump can fire leaders of independent agencies
Case focused on White House’s March 2025 firing of Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter US supreme court decisions – live updates Sign up for the Breaking News US email The US supreme court ruled that Donald Trump can fire leaders of independent agencies or commissions, ending 90 years of court precedent that curbs executive power. The vote in the case of Trump v Slaughter is 6-3, with dissents from Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan. Continue reading...